I remember Mark Hughes writing a while back that he didn't see Vettel do anything that he thought Rosberg wouldn't have been able to do with the car. I think in terms of outright speed that is correct. I don't think Rosberg is the same animal as Vettel though, I don't feel that he rises to pressure in the same way Vettel does.

I for one am expecting Rosberg to outqualify Hamilton plenty this year. If he doesn't, I think it would have to solidify Hamilton's tag as the 'fastest man in F1'.

Could be faster, could be slower, who knows? I think Rosberg is one of the faster guys out there so there probably isn't much between him and Vettel. I wonder what Schumacher or Webbers opinions would be?

I for one am expecting Rosberg to outqualify Hamilton plenty this year.

I´d still be surprised if Hamilton would not be ahead in more qualifyings than the other way aorund. ROS will most likely be tougher opposition than Button in that discipline, but he isn´t bulletproof as last season showed. Ok...MSC was one of the best qualifyers in the last two decades - but he was 43, so imho it´s not too bolt to assume that HAM is above that level.

Watching some kid come along and win everything must suck. Perhaps they realize they can't beat him on the track, and are hoping they can beat him with mind games. So far that hasn't proven to be the case.

My prediction: If Vettel wins the next 2 WDCs, someone from a F1 team will say Bruno Senna is faster than Vettel. This will be a hotly debated topic.

Watching some kid come along and win everything must suck. Perhaps they realize they can't beat him on the track, and are hoping they can beat him with mind games. So far that hasn't proven to be the case.

My prediction: If Vettel wins the next 2 WDCs, someone from a F1 team will say Bruno Senna is faster than Vettel. This will be a hotly debated topic.

This argument might work for FA - but Perez has been in F1 for only two years and his career on a steep upward trajectory .... what is his reason for being jealous of SV??

Webber used to be one of the best qualifyers in F1. You dont lose that raw pace over night. I have a strong feeling of funny goings on in Redbull that gives Vettel thats edge in terms of car performance over Webber. We have seen few times where Webber has had to play second fiddle and also the famous wing incident. If they give Vettel that small margin Mark cannot complain like he has done so in the past.

Watching some kid come along and win everything must suck. Perhaps they realize they can't beat him on the track, and are hoping they can beat him with mind games. So far that hasn't proven to be the case.

My prediction: If Vettel wins the next 2 WDCs, someone from a F1 team will say Bruno Senna is faster than Vettel. This will be a hotly debated topic.

What about the team principals? Are they acting like jealous girlfriend's, too, by NOT rating the WDC-winning driver "The Best" in 2 out of his 3 championship seasons, or are they just calling it as they see it?

I think it's statements like Perez' and the views of most of the pit lane, that drive Marko CRAZY...leaving him all upset and frothing at the mouth. Vettel's forum-warriors seem to suffer from this, too.

Vettel has EARNED HIS TITLES, no doubt, but he seems NOT to have earned the respect of his peers.

Well it can't be much fun getting crushed race after race, year after year. Bound to cause a bit of resentment.

I've no idea what makes Perez think Rosberg is the faster, but considering Perez has never really competed directly against Vettel I doubt it's based on any sort of resentment. Perhaps he bases it on Rosberg's record against Schumacher. Whatever the case, until they sit in the same car it's impossible to say for certain. There's not a lot difference in pace amongst most of the top drivers, but Vettel seems a more 'complete' driver than Rosberg.

What about the team principals? Are they acting like jealous girlfriend's, too, by NOT rating the WDC-winning driver "The Best" in 2 out of his 3 championship seasons, or are they just calling it as they see it?

I think it's statements like Perez' and the views of most of the pit lane, that drive Marko CRAZY...leaving him all upset and frothing at the mouth. Vettel's forum-warriors seem to suffer from this, too.

Vettel has EARNED HIS TITLES, no doubt, but he seems NOT to have earned the respect of his peers.

You have clearly not understood that they rated Vettel the best in last five years, basically in all those years in which they have been asked to state their opinion. But in the end even that counts little compared to the 3 WDCs...

And to be honest I have a hard time to give the words of an inexperienced potential contender of the defending WDC any merit. Maybe he picked up something on the Latin side of F1, given that De la Rosa, Algesuari & Co voiced their opinion quite often of a certain other Latin driver...

What about the team principals? Are they acting like jealous girlfriend's, too, by NOT rating the WDC-winning driver "The Best" in 2 out of his 3 championship seasons, or are they just calling it as they see it?

Considering this is F1, acting like jealous girlfriends wouldn't surprise me. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

I think it's statements like Perez' and the views of most of the pit lane, that drive Marko CRAZY...leaving him all upset and frothing at the mouth.

Actually, I suspect it gives Marko a good laugh as he admires the three WDC and three WCC trophies in the case.

For all any of us know Rosberg might indeed be the faster driver. If he is, he has a long way to go to make his case.

You have clearly not understood that they rated Vettel the best in last five years, basically in all those years in which they have been asked to state their opinion. But in the end even that counts little compared to the 3 WDCs...

And to be honest I have a hard time to give the words of an inexperienced potential contender of the defending WDC any merit. Maybe he picked up something on the Latin side of F1, given that De la Rosa, Algesuari & Co voiced their opinion quite often of a certain other Latin driver...

Nice avoidance.

Seems YOU understand, quite well, that in the years that Vettel actually won the championship, he was NOT RATED the top driver, which is why you expand to his NON-WDC years.

Fact is, Vettel is a 3xWDC, and the youngest ever to do so. What is equally true is that Red Bull was the DOMINANT CONSTRUCTOR during the same time period, and in only one of those years was Vettel's driving deemed the best.

I think Perez' statements, even as an F1 newbie, indicate some of the lack of regard with which Vettel is held in the paddock. No one thinks he's a bad driver, but more emphasis is placed on his Newey-Built rocket ship.

As you say, he can soothe his pain by gazing at his trifecta of WDC trophies, but it seems he'll have to wait a bit longer for respect from his peers.

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You are the guy drawing an arbitrary line. In any case even in the last three years he was 'just' by a small margin the second best driver of the circus. In any case over his full seasons in F1 he has been voted in the paddock as the best and has won 3 out 5 titles.

But to come back to Perez. As I said before and say again: I do not value much the words of the potential direct competitor, especially not a Latin (I'm Italian), but also not of other guys. It is often all a political game. Envy must be hard gained, pity is much easier to acquire.

The more you guys profess not to care about the lack of credit and respond "Yeah, but he's won 3WDCs," it becomes increasingly obvious how much you DO CARE! Same thing with Marko.

I understand "The STING" that must come from comments from unaccomplished drivers like Perez, not to mention the lack of respect shown by the overwhelming majority of the team managers in the pit lane. Must be a bit of an ego bruise.

Vettel has done what only 2 other drivers in F1 history have done, by winning 3 on the trot, but STILL, the respect does not come! Where's the LOVE? Where's the ADORATION??! Not his fault he's driven the MOST DOMINANT F1 car during that period. I'd be burned up as well, with people giving more credit to the car than my driving.

Reminds me of Mansell who also got the Rodney Dangerfield treatment when he won in the PEERLESS '92 Williams or Jacques Villeneuve in '97. Bummer!

You have clearly not understood that they rated Vettel the best in last five years, basically in all those years in which they have been asked to state their opinion. But in the end even that counts little compared to the 3 WDCs...

And to be honest I have a hard time to give the words of an inexperienced potential contender of the defending WDC any merit. Maybe he picked up something on the Latin side of F1, given that De la Rosa, Algesuari & Co voiced their opinion quite often of a certain other Latin driver...

An opinion is just that.

By the way. No. of WDCs do not automatically warrant fastest driver status. Just look at Michael Schumacher.

And the reason for that is that all the F1 fraternity that are unbiased regard Lewis Hamilton or should I say know that Lewis is the fastest on the grid. Of course everyone knows its not just about the driver you have to have the best designer the best team generally and even manufacturing standards with also driver management. Decisions have to be made and actions have to be taken outside of the drivers control because it is a team sport.Lewis Hamilton is the fastest driver there has been in F1 since Michael Schumacher no-one else is at that level but there are many team leading drivers with better backroom staff enabling people such as Alonso and Vettel to win titles instead of Hamilton. I hope that finishes all the debates on who is the fastest. All the experts already know the answer its just trying to persuade the lesser mortals who have other agenda based on their personal bias.circumstances are far too powerful to ever be able to work out a magic formula that says who's gonna win the titles.

Well many have said Rosberg is the fastest driver over one lap, for example Norbert Haug and Alex Wurz who both have worked with lots of other drivers that have been thought to be one of the fastest.I also think Rosberg is one of the fastest if not the fastest driver over one lap and Hamilton will have tough battle ahead of him.

And the reason for that is that all the F1 fraternity that are unbiased regard Lewis Hamilton or should I say know that Lewis is the fastest on the grid. Of course everyone knows its not just about the driver you have to have the best designer the best team generally and even manufacturing standards with also driver management. Decisions have to be made and actions have to be taken outside of the drivers control because it is a team sport.Lewis Hamilton is the fastest driver there has been in F1 since Michael Schumacher no-one else is at that level but there are many team leading drivers with better backroom staff enabling people such as Alonso and Vettel to win titles instead of Hamilton. I hope that finishes all the debates on who is the fastest. All the experts already know the answer its just trying to persuade the lesser mortals who have other agenda based on their personal bias.circumstances are far too powerful to ever be able to work out a magic formula that says who's gonna win the titles.

So when Schumi does it for 5 years (TP, Designer, Bridgestone et al), he's was the fastest... But same doesn't apply to Vettel. Hypocrisy at it's best.

"Raikkonen is one of the fastest man on the planet"- Martin Whitmarsh, post Hangary 2012.

Fastest this & Fastest that is never stagnant in F1 & in fact varies from Race to Race instead of season to season as some want us to believe. The fastest driver in Australia might get humbled in Abu Dhabi...

And the reason for that is that all the F1 fraternity that are unbiased regard Lewis Hamilton or should I say know that Lewis is the fastest on the grid. Of course everyone knows its not just about the driver you have to have the best designer the best team generally and even manufacturing standards with also driver management. Decisions have to be made and actions have to be taken outside of the drivers control because it is a team sport.Lewis Hamilton is the fastest driver there has been in F1 since Michael Schumacher no-one else is at that level but there are many team leading drivers with better backroom staff enabling people such as Alonso and Vettel to win titles instead of Hamilton. I hope that finishes all the debates on who is the fastest. All the experts already know the answer its just trying to persuade the lesser mortals who have other agenda based on their personal bias.circumstances are far too powerful to ever be able to work out a magic formula that says who's gonna win the titles.

I am not sure whether even Hamilton fans would agree on this. By the way, how do you rate Rosberg vs. Vettel?

Just few days in a top team and already playing mind games. He is learning pretty fast

It is easy to see that Perez has high hopes for next season and is taking aim at the expected main contender.

But this approach from Perez (and Alonso) is puzzling to me as it will only lead to Vettel being even more determined and become a bigger threat to repeat and take a 4th wdc. The better way has always been imo to praise the champion, tell them what they want to hear in the hopes that they will become complacent. And then if you end up on top you have beaten the top driver which only makes you look better.

So when Schumi does it for 5 years (TP, Designer, Bridgestone et al), he's was the fastest... But same doesn't apply to Vettel. Hypocrisy at it's best.

"Raikkonen is one of the fastest man on the planet"- Martin Whitmarsh, post Hangary 2012.

Fastest this & Fastest that is never stagnant in F1 & in fact varies from Race to Race instead of season to season as some want us to believe. The fastest driver in Australia might get humbled in Abu Dhabi...

Who said anything about Schumacher's circumstances? I suggest you read and think a bit more before commenting, Schumacher was regarded as the fastest driver in F1 for many different reasons and for a long time not just in the height of his Ferrari days. Carry on making outward gestures whilst others concentrate on carefully thinking about the players in F1 without being sucked into a blind religious belief.

It is easy to see that Perez has high hopes for next season and is taking aim at the expected main contender.

But this approach from Perez (and Alonso) is puzzling to me as it will only lead to Vettel being even more determined and become a bigger threat to repeat and take a 4th wdc. The better way has always been imo to praise the champion, tell them what they want to hear in the hopes that they will become complacent. And then if you end up on top you have beaten the top driver which only makes you look better.

Well it is obvious that these type of comments have a huge negative effect on the Red Bull camp and Vettel fanbase. However I dont see how Perez would want to. play mind games with Vettel. It is more of an out of context provocative journalism.

The truth is that during their first seasons in F1, Roberg was more promising than Vettel. Moreover, Vettel was not much better than Speed. But then Vettel got the fastest car and had possibility to fight in front with best drivers, tuning his driving skills under continuous pressure of WDC contender, while Rosberg all these years was relaxed by driving slow car without any motivation, loosing his driving skills. It is another proof of how important for young driver is to receive a fast car in a right time. If Kimi wasn't signed by McLaren, Alonso by Renault, Vettel by Neway's RB, Hamilton by McLaren, Perez by McLaren, they would have the same fate as Heidfeld, Button (he should say thanks to Brown for rescue), Buemi, Rosberg and Kobayashi respectively.

This logic therefore implies that Vettel is amazing and Hamilton and Alonso are worse than all the drivers > them by proxy. Now this is blown way out of proportion, but it just emphasises how silly all of this is, as it doesn't take into account age/injury/car preference or team orders.